A new book chronicles the battle between farm equipment makers John Deere and International Harvester at the height of the farm crisis.
AUSTIN, Texas. August 1, 2024. Award-winning book publisher Octane Press’ new release, “Snoopy and the Spies,” details the final days of International Harvester and the events that led to its ultimate downfall. Author Lee Crancher provides a fascinating chronicle of the unprecedented agricultural technology race that took place during the worst farm crisis in modern history. The book details how loyal soldiers from each company engaged in corporate espionage to gain a slight competitive advantage or, in International Harvester’s case, fight a losing battle for survival.
Snoopy and the Spies provides historical context for why and how corporations fought and gives an inside look at real-life corporate espionage, while Cruncher tells the story of tractor salesman John “Bud” Yule, who did everything imaginable to save International Harvester from ruin and prevent his “beloved” 2+2 tractor from becoming a forgotten piece of farm machinery.
Opening in the sweltering heat of New Orleans in 1982, Bud decides to make a sacrifice for his company team. He sneaks into the Superdome, where John Deere is planning a showcase to show off new machines to dealers. Bud’s goal is to gather information on the technical features of the new model. He goes too far, and the consequences of his actions reverberate to this day. Bud sells his idea to Harvester, arguing that they need to know the new machine’s performance to beat the competition. But what he really wants is the new machine’s weaknesses.
This book recalls the dynamics of fierce competition between the world’s leading agricultural machinery manufacturers. The loyalty of both the agricultural machinery manufacturers’ employees and their customers is extraordinary. The extreme thoroughness that both sides go to is almost unbelievable. Company personnel sneak into display cases, measure valleys, and closely monitor suppliers to get photos, dimensions, and technical details of newly launched machines. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Beginning in the 1970s and culminating in the unforgettable events that took place in New Orleans in 1982, Cruncher will captivate readers with fresh, untold stories about the 2+2 tractor, the fierce competitive environment, the launch of the 50 Series, and all the bloody events that led to the Harvester’s spectacular downfall.
If you’re into history, tractors, and stories so intriguing they’d make James Bond’s head spin, you won’t want to miss Snoopy and the Spies.
The official release date is September 17, 2024 (just in time for the fall harvest!), and Snoopy and the Spys can be ordered from Octane Press or wherever books are sold. Contact us at media@octanepress.com.
Title: Snoopy and the Spy
Subtitle: A tale of espionage, ingenuity and the epic battle to save International Harvester
author: Lee Cruncher
Hardcover ISBN-13: 9781642341850
Issue date: October 29, 2024
Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 1 inches
Number of pages: 144
Retail Price: $24.95
LEE KLANCHER’s career has spanned more than 30 years of publishing outstanding articles. As editor and publisher, he has overseen the development of some of the transportation field’s most acclaimed and bestselling books. A prolific author and photographer, Klancher has contributed text and images to more than 30 books as well as dozens of national magazines, including Men’s Journal, Draft, and Motorcyclist.
OCTANE PRESS has published over 200 books since 2010, won 35 independent book awards and reached over one million readers.
